


Summer Days

by Wheudonym



Category: Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, First Kiss, First Meetings, M/M, Pre-Canon, Summer Camp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-11
Updated: 2018-03-11
Packaged: 2019-03-29 19:59:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13934235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wheudonym/pseuds/Wheudonym
Summary: Billy hadn’t wanted to go to the Summer Camp in upstate New York, but his mother had insisted it would be good for him. Billy had resigned himself to three months of boredom and avoiding the other campers when he met Teddy Altman.Pre-Series, How They Met AU.





	Summer Days

**Author's Note:**

> ((Note: Takes place Pre-Series. Set around 2005.))

The top bunk was hot, but it was better than the blazing sun out by the lake.

“Come on, Billy!” Jessica, his overly-bubbly camp counselor, had called to him, “Let’s go to the lake! You don’t want to go back to that stuffy ole cabin.”

Billy had to disagree. He much preferred the peace and quiet of his bunk than the chaos of the lake. All the other campers would be wearing swimsuits and the boys would be shirtless. If he didn’t take off his shirt, it would most certainly be noticed and there was bound to be one person to tease him for it. It wasn’t that he was bad-looking, but he was certainly scrawny. His mother called him ‘lanky’ and he would ‘grow into those limbs in a few years, Billy, just you see. You’re just like your Uncle when he was your age.’ Even if all that wasn’t a problem, Billy didn’t have much to do besides swim around because despite this being his third week at camp, he still hadn’t made any friends. He had talked to some of the other campers, and they were nice, but they had all come with their friends. He just didn’t fit into their circles.  

He had told Jessica that he had a headache, and although that would have never worked on his parents, the peppy counselor had bought it. 

So instead of jumping into the lake, Billy was lying out like a starfish on the top of his bunk. He had his ipod touch in hand, clicking through his songs, unable to settle on one. Paramore. Click. Muse. Click. My Chemical Romance. Click. Britney Spears. Click.

“Hey, is someone up there?”

Billy practically jumped out of his skin when he heard the voice that didn’t come out of his earbuds. In the process, he banged his head on the very low ceiling. Or rather, he banged his head on the regular-height ceiling which he was very close to.

He yelped and then groaned as the top of his head connected with the wood beam with a dull thunk.

“Oh god! Are you okay? I didn’t mean to startle you!” 

Billy looked down, rubbing his hand over his tender head. That was when his eyes caught on a mess of shaggy blond hair. It was Teddy. The boy that Billy had been fawning over (from afar, of course). They had only exchanged a handful of words. (By a handful, Billy meant: “Hey, can you pass me that oar?” to which Billy had fumbled over the canoe oars and made a horrible giggling noise. Billy wasn’t even sure Teddy had heard his small “No problem” when Teddy had thanked him.) In the small bunk, Billy quickly tried to right himself (this time without hitting his head) and flatten down his hair which was surely a mess of bedhead.

“I thought everyone was down by the docks.” Teddy smiled, widely. Billy wondered how anyone was as nice as Teddy seemed to be. It had to be an act, Billy kept telling himself. “I just came to grab my towel. I forgot it.”

And that’s when Billy noticed that not only was Teddy in his swim trunks and nothing else, he was also wet. Billy practically swallowed his tongue. Not that it mattered too much since he still hadn’t said anything. 

The thing about Teddy was that he was, at least from what Billy had seen, perfect. He had shaggy blond hair that went far down his forehead, getting into his eyes. He had perfect skin. Honestly, what fifteen-year-old boy had perfect skin? Even all that didn’t include his broad shoulders and the kind of muscles that Billy craved. In more than one way. The thought sent a strike of lightning down his spine.

“You alright?”

“Headache.” Billy finally said. “Or that’s what I told Jessica. I just didn’t want to go down to the lake.”

“Oh, why not?”

Billy shrugged.

“Well, alright.” Billy was surprised at how easily Teddy let it go. He was glad of it since Billy didn’t want to make up a lie. He could have never told Teddy the truth, which was that he felt too apathetic and lethargic to do much more than lay around. Kids normally didn’t get that.

“Whatcha doing?” His eye caught on the ipod, and his face brightened “Is that a ipod touch? Wow, that’s so cool. I only have a shuffle.”

“Oh, it’s new.” Billy said, looking down at the screen, which was embarrassingly playing Disney music. He quickly locked it and pulled his earbuds out. “It’s actually just the family ipod, but my mom let me take it to camp.” In actuality, Billy had begged his mom to let him have the ipod. He had known that he because he wouldn’t have made any friends and would need something during the downtime between obligatory activities.

Teddy stepped up onto the lower bunk and rested his arms on Billy’s bunk. He was incredibly close, and Billy felt himself freeze in place. “What kind of music you have? Does it have any cool games?”

Billy nodded, skipping over the first question. “It’s got this pong kind of game.”

“Old school.” Teddy smiled, and it was hard to come up with anything to say in response to the full-force of Teddy’s smile directed at him. Billy opened his mouth to say something but Teddy’s eyes had drifted to something else. Billy’s bag. Which was filled with comics. Billy quickly went to cover them, the last thing he needed was Teddy knowing he was a nerd and telling the other campers.

But before he could cover the comics, Teddy exclaimed, “Captain America! Hey is that the new arc? Are you up to date?”

Before Billy could think, he said “No, I haven’t been able to get my comics while at camp. But I bribed my little brothers to pick up my orders from the shop so I’ll have to binge at the end of the summer before school starts.”

Teddy said, “Me too. My mom keeps writing me letters about how many comic books are piling up on my bed. It can’t be more than two a week, but she always thinks I read too many comics.”

“Really?” Billy couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice. Billy just couldn’t combine his idea of Teddy “Popular Surfer Jock” and Teddy “The Comic Nerd.”

“Yeah, but I’ve seen her read them when she thinks I don’t notice, so I know she likes them too.”

“Whoa, your mom seems cool.”

“She is,” Teddy said, and he said it without even a hint of embarrassment. That was actually sort of...sweet. Billy’s brain was melting. “So who’s your favorite?”

“Favorite superhero?” Billy asked, “I can’t choose! That’s just ridiculous.”

“You make a good point. Mine’s always been Batman.”

“Oh, so we’re talking fictional? I thought you meant real ones. I was going to say Captain America.”

“I thought you said you couldn’t decide?” Teddy teased.

“Yeah, but...Cap.” Billy pointed out.

“A fair argument, who doesn’t love Cap?”

“Crazy people, obviously,” Billy said. “So Batman, huh?”

“No one can beat Batman. But I like Green Lantern too.I wish I could just think of things and they appear in front of me.”

“That’s not exactly how that works.”

Teddy shrugged, “Yeah but you know what I mean! I wouldn’t have to leave my room for chips.”

Billy smiled. He couldn’t believe he was having this conversation with Teddy. Let alone the topic at hand, he was stunned that he was using words in the right order and he hadn’t made any weird noises yet. Success!

At that moment Teddy seemed to shift his feet on the bunk below, and he must have lost his footing on the thin wooden rail because there was a creak and then he slipped.

“Oof!” Teddy’s huff of breath was joined by a loud thump of a body hitting the wooden floor.

Billy looked over the edge of the bunk to see Teddy flat on his butt. Teddy covered his face with his hands. “Smooth, Altman. Real, smooth.” He muttered to himself.

Billy couldn’t help it, he burst out laughing.

“Oh yeah, yuck it up. These bunk rails wiggle! I’m surprised I haven’t fallen out in the middle of the night.” Teddy smiled as he rolled over and got up, rubbing his butt. Billy choked a little, coughing out the rest of his laughter.

“Are you okay?” Billy asked.

“Yeah, my butt’s fine but my ego is permanently bruised.” He made a dramatic gesture with his hands over his head, “Woe is me! My pride!”

“Your pride kind of went out the window when you recognized my Captain America comics with just a glance.” Billy pointed out.

Teddy put his hands to his heart like he had been shot. “Oh! My ego!”

Billy started to laugh, and when he looked down to Teddy again, he saw that the other boy was just watching him with a small smile on his lips. Billy coughed. “So…”

“You should come down to the lake,” Teddy said. “I mean if you can’t swim or something, that’s alright I’ll sit with you on the docks with our feet in the water.”

Billy felt his ear heat.

“I can swim. I just...I just don’t know anyone.”

“Well...you know me now.” Teddy offered. “Come on? It’s hot in here and I want to talk comics with someone. None of my other friends care about them.”

Billy bit his lip, his stomach fluttering nervously.

“Yeah. Okay. Sure.” Billy climbed down from the bunk and grabbed his swim trunks and towel.

“Awesome!” Teddy grabbed his own neglected towel, and they headed down to the lake. 

Maybe this wouldn’t be such an awful summer afterall.

***

Since Teddy was the only person Billy had made any connection with at camp, over the next few weeks Billy latched onto him during every activity. The amazing part was that Teddy didn’t seem to mind. More importantly, he seemed to want to be Billy’s buddy during the camp activities, even archery where Billy had almost shot Jessica. (Accidently! It had been an accident!)

Over the weeks Billy learned a lot about his new friend. They had a lot more in common than Billy initially thought. They realized that their paths might have crossed before since they both lived in NYC. Even though Billy lived on the Upper East Side and Teddy lived in Brooklyn, they knew the same comic book shops and game stores. 

They mostly talked about comics and movies, but sometimes they would talk about school. Billy never mentioned any of his friends, mostly he didn’t think he had any. He had a few acquaintances from class, who sometimes talked to him outside of class, but they weren’t really ‘friends.’ Plus Billy didn’t want to give Teddy the idea that he was the lame kid with no friends. Teddy also didn’t seem to mention anyone besides the other campers. Maybe because Teddy’s friends were probably so different than Billy. They mostly talked comics, and Teddy had already said none of his friends cared about that stuff. Teddy probably only wanted to talk to Billy about comic stuff because he had no one else to talk about it with. The only friend Billy heard Teddy mention was a boy named Greg, but they didn’t seem very close. At least that was the impression Billy got from Teddy’s stories.

They spent a lot of time walking around the camp, just talking. One of these times came in the evening after a long July day. They were sitting around a campfire with all the other campers after roasting marshmallows. Brad, one of the camp counselors, was telling an exaggerated scary story which might have been scary, but any free time Billy didn’t spend reading comics it was spent watching horror movies. He was practically immune to horror, especially to cliche horror. And so, it seemed, was Teddy.

“Lame,” Teddy whispered into Billy’s ear, making him shiver unintentionally. “Wanna go?”

“Go where?” Billy whispered, eyes on Brad as he continued to describe a haunted hospital.

“The woods?” Teddy asked. “Let’s walk the trail.”

Billy looked at Teddy through the corner of his eye. He tried to hold back his smile, but he couldn’t as he nodded silently. They snuck off a little while later, when Jessica snuck up behind Brad, startling him so badly that he let out a shrill scream. He was so loud and the campers were laughing so hard that no one noticed the two boys leaving the circle.

As soon as they made it to the trail, far away from the others, Teddy asked, “So if you were someone in a horror movie, who’d you be?”

“Definitely the geek who knows way too much about ghosts, but is the third to die,” Billy answered.

Teddy laughed, “You’ve thought about this before.”

“Of course I have, Teddy Altman. Who do you take me for?”

“My apologies, William.” Teddy teased. “Come on, then. Who would I be?”

“That’s easy. The pretty boy jock, with a little bit of a comedic undertone, who probably makes it to the end of the movie.”

“Pretty boy?”

Billy realized his choice of words and tried to backpedal. Teddy hadn’t figured out Billy was gay, unlike everyone at school, and he was trying to keep that from happening just yet. He had a whole month of summer left, and Teddy was his only friend here.

“I mean, you know. The Popular Kid? The blond hair and...muscles?” Billy offered.

Teddy smiled and slung his arm around Billy, “You think I’m  _ pretty _ .” He elongated the word so that it was at least four syllables. Unlike the bullying he got at school, Teddy didn’t seem to be making fun of Billy. He was just messing around.

“Shut up.” Billy rolled his eyes and pushed Teddy off. “You would still die. Nerds like you always die in horror movies.”

“Oh!” Teddy groaned, “I’ve been burned.”

Billy rolled his eyes again, “Loser.”

“I don’t think I’m popular. Or a jock.” Teddy said, tilting his head. “Is that what you think?”

“Well, I don’t know. You’re just so...friendly? I don’t know.”

“You’re friendly.”

Billy snorted. “No, I’m not.” He was socially awkward and kept to himself. He sat alone at lunch, reading comics and avoiding anyone who made eye contact with him.

“Yeah, you are. You were nice to me.”

“That’s because you were nice to me.”

“Well, yeah. Are people not nice to you?”

Billy shrugged.

Teddy stopped talking for a bit. Their flashlights swung beams of light back and forth across the path ahead. Billy watched Teddy’s sneaker as it kicked a rock in the middle of the trail. 

“Well, those people are douches,” Teddy said after a minute of silence.

Billy smiled. “Thanks.”

“High school’s a pain,” Teddy concluded.

“Tell me about it,” Billy said. “But it’s probably easier for you. No offense.”

“What? Why?”

“Well…” Billy bit his lip. “I’m the nerdy kid. And you know…” Billy hesitated before he added. “The kids at school think I’m gay.”

“Oh.” Teddy paused. “Are you?”

Billy shrugged. “I never told anyone, but kids just kinda assumed. I mean, they were right, but no one really asked.”

“Oh.” Teddy didn’t say anything again. “They don’t bother you, do they?”

Billy snorted, “Only all the time. There’s this one guy, Kesler. He’s the worst.”

Teddy stayed quiet again, and Billy regretted telling him. They were having such a good time, tonight and the summer in general, and he ruined it. Teddy probably wouldn’t say anything but he would probably stop wanting to be Billy’s activity buddy. Now he would have to go back to sitting alone and avoiding group activities for the last month.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to bring it up.” Billy offered, hoping Teddy would ignore he said anything at all.

“No.” Teddy stopped and touched Billy’s arm to stop him too. They were only lit by the pale orange glow of their flashlights, but Billy could see the earnest expression on Teddy’s face. “Sorry, I just hate that people are like that. It sucks.”

Billy’s brows pinched, “You don’t mind?”

“What? That you’re gay? No way! My mom definitely raised me better than that.” Teddy’s brow pinched, “Oh my god, did you think I’d not like you anymore?”

Billy shrugged. “Yes? But it’s not you, I’m just kind of used to it.”

Teddy frowned again and then suddenly declared. “ _ Douches _ . All of them. Captain America would never approve of this. He’d kick all their asses. And I would too, in case you were wondering.”

“Thanks.” Teddy was probably just saying that to be nice, or cover up his discomfort, but Billy appreciated it nonetheless. It was hard not to believe it too, because Teddy always sounded so genuine.

They continued walking in silence. The only sounds around them were their feet against the leaves and the nature around them. The lake’s waves hitting the pebble shore was to their left and off in the distance, they heard an owl shriek.

“Come on, let’s go this way.” Teddy pointed to a way off the path. There was a small pathway, marked by some trampled plants, but it was definitely off the designated path. Billy followed, Teddy giving him a hand as they climbed over fallen logs and large rocks that were in the way. Eventually they came across some large granite boulders which were piled in the form of a pseudo-cliffedge which overlooked the lake. They climbed up, giving each other a hand when there wasn’t a foothold and laughing as they stumbled over the rocks in the dark. When they finally made it to the top, they overlooked the entire lake. The waning moon cast enough light that when they turned off their flashlights and let their eyes adjust to the evening light, they could see the lake, the campfire, and the cabins off in the distance.

They sat next to each other, commenting every once and a while on the sound of a bat or pointing out a fish that had jumped out of the lake.

“How’d you know you were gay?” Teddy asked suddenly, startling Billy.

“How does anyone? I had a massive crush on Captain America.”

Teddy laughed, “Come on, Billy, I was being serious.”

“I’m deadly serious, Teddy. I never joke about Cap. Never. Or Iron Man. Or Dick Grayson. Can’t forget about Dick Grayson.” Billy smiled, and then he remembered that it was probably really weird for Teddy, so he looked back to the lake and bit his tongue to stop him from rambling more. He had to remember that however nice Teddy was, he still might be acting nice.

“Never forget about Dick Grayson.” Teddy repeated, lightly teasing. “So do you have a boyfriend?”

Billy snorted. “Once again, Teddy, look at me. Nerdy dork.”

Teddy cocked his head to the side, “Sounds perfect.”

“Shut up.” Billy pushed Teddy’s shoulder, making him wiggle one way and then knock back into Billy like a Newton’s cradle.

“Oh come on, you’re a catch, Bee.”

Billy laughed, but then he realized that Teddy was being serious. He looked down, wiggling his toes in his hiking boots. He ran a hand through his hair and was thankful his blush would be indistinguishable in the moonlight. This little crush on Teddy was going to be a huge pain, especially now that Teddy knew about the whole gay thing and didn’t appear to mind. 

“We should probably head back,” Billy said eventually. 

“Probably.” Teddy stood up and offered his hand to Billy. “Come on.”

Billy took the hand and tried not to be impressed with how easily Teddy lifted him off the ground. Billy hadn’t even needed to press off the boulder.

They climbed down carefully, although it was much harder to see, as it had gotten darker and their flashlights were only enough to see directly beneath them. Teddy caught Billy from slipping a couple times, and Billy had to stop Teddy from stepping onto nothing more than once.

When they made it down to the bottom, Teddy laughed and pumped his fist in the air. “Haha! Victory.”

Billy cupped his hands over his mouth and declared, “Dork!”

Teddy blew a raspberry at him. 

That was when Billy saw something out of the corner of his eye, in the edge of his flashlight’s beam. It skittered and darted out from under the rocks. Teddy cried out and crumpled to the ground.

“Teddy!” Billy panicked, flickering his light over the ground, but he only caught a glimpse of some leaves rustling and the sound of hissing. “Oh my god. Oh my god.”

Billy dropped to his knees by Teddy’s side, where he was holding his leg. “Shit.” Teddy cursed as he peeled back his jeans to reveal what must be a snake bite. There was blood oozing out from a set of puncture marks. The skin around it was already starting to swell and redden. Teddy’s arms and legs were clenched up, his muscles taut and strained with the pain.

“That looks bad. That looks very, very bad. Oh my god, I can’t carry you out of the woods! I don’t have the upper body strength for that! We need Jessica. Or Brad. Oh my god.” Billy stood up quickly, practically falling on his face, “I have to go get help!”

“No, Billy, wait.” Teddy grabbed onto Billy’s jacket, tugging him to a stop. “It’s alright.”

“It is not alright! Teddy, are you insane? What if it was poisonous? Oh crap, w _ hat if it was poisonous! _ ”

“That would be venomous.”

“Not the time, Teddy!”

“Look, I didn’t want to say anything…” Teddy halted and then he seemed to come to a decision. “Hold the flashlight over my leg.”

“What?”

“Just...trust me. Do it?” 

“Okay…” Billy did it, but mostly because Teddy looked more grave than he ever had. As Billy shined the light over Teddy’s leg, he watched with amazement as the skin seemed to move on its own. Some clear liquid dripped out of the wound, and then the skin repaired itself. It looked like weeks of healing, from an open cut, to a scab, to a scar, and then to the completely smooth skin, all in less than thirty seconds. Billy stared at the fresh skin of Teddy’s leg. It was like there had never been anything there at all.

He reached out and touched it. There was nothing remarkable about it. It was just Teddy’s leg. Warm, with some light blond hairs.

“Are you…? What…?” Billy stammered, his brain not caught up with his mouth yet.

“I don’t know.” Teddy offered. “I think I’m a mutant, maybe?”

“You have powers?” Billy felt his eyes widen even as his panic slowly dissipated.

“Yeah, but I’m not sure because I have more than one.”

“No way.” Billy stared at Teddy, although it was hard to see in the dark. “Like what?”

“Uh. Super strength. Or at least, I’m strong. I haven’t tested it too much. And I’ve never really been able to stay injured for very long. I broke my arm when I was eight and it healed in a week.”

“That’s amazing. Holy crap, that’s awesome, you’re, like,  _ invincible _ .” Billy touched Teddy’s leg, “You’re all healed? No venom or whatever?”

“I think so. It doesn’t hurt anymore, so that’s probably a good sign.” Teddy rubbed the back of his neck. 

Billy laughed, a surreal feeling coming over him.

“There’s something else too,” Teddy added, looking far less amused and far timider. 

“What? You’re not like going to tell me you’re an Avenger too, because Teddy, I will lose my mind right now.”

Teddy laughed, his unease audible in his tone, “No. I’m so not cool enough to be an Avenger.”

“Okay. Well, what is it?”

“Well… I can shapeshift.” Teddy said.

“Why do you sound bummed out and not like completely amazed. I’m completely amazed. I’m like, bursting with nerdy joy. You can shapeshift? Into what? A tiger? Other people? Change colors like a chameleon?”

“Mostly other people...but I can do other stuff too.” Teddy looked up, “You’re not freaked out? Or like, want me to do something?”

“I’m not freaked out, Teddy, I swear. You’re cool. That’s cool,” Billy pointed to Teddy’s leg. “And that is very, very useful. But why would I want you to do something? Like pick up a tree? That seems pointless. Cool, but pointless.”

“No, I mean...Greg always asks me to turn into celebrities.” Teddy hesitated, “Sometimes...Sometimes he makes me go to places and sign autographs.” 

Billy frowned.

“I know. I know.” Teddy looked away before Billy could say anything. “It’s stupid. I shouldn’t have done it, but Greg wanted me to do it and when I protested he threw a huge fit and wouldn’t talk to me.”

“Well… That seems kind of rude. You could just tell him to shove it.”

“I guess.” Teddy hesitated. “I should. But he’s kind of the only friend I have.”

“Oh.” 

Billy could relate to that. Wanting to fit in. Needing a friend when there was no one else who would give you the time of day. He really, really could understand that. All this time Billy had thought him and Teddy weren’t alike at all. Apparently not. A wave of sympathy rushed over him, and he didn’t think, he just acted. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Teddy in a big hug. “What a douche. Cap would never approve.” Billy repeated Teddy’s own words.

Teddy huffed out a laugh and held onto Billy’s waist, and Billy felt success in that little victory.

“I’m glad you told me,” Billy said. “Even if you had to get bitten by a snake to tell me, thanks for telling me.”

Teddy smiled. “Yeah, I feel bad for startling the little guy. I stepped into his house.”

“Of course you do.” Billy smiled, “You really are a big nerd, aren’t you?”

Teddy looked up at him, “You don’t mind that, do you?” He said as if the thought just occurred to him. As if Billy hadn’t been hanging onto Teddy for weeks, talking a mile a minute about comics and movies.

“If I didn’t that would make me a little bit of a hypocrite, wouldn’t it?” Billy pointed out. “Me being the biggest nerd of them all. The King of Nerds, if you will.”

Teddy’s smile slowly grew from a timid tilt of his lips to a full-blown grin. “Thanks, Bee. Just… Thanks.”

Billy was getting the feeling that those words meant a lot more to Teddy than he could really understand. At least for now, Billy thought. But he hoped he could stay Teddy’s friend and get to know just what made someone as nice and optimistic as Teddy, look so self-conscious.

“Come on.” Billy stood up and offered his hand. “We better head back before someone finds out we’re missing.”

Teddy took the hand and they walked back to the camp, their arms brushing every once in a while. Billy’s heart never settled down, even when he was lying flat in his bunk. All he could think about was how Teddy had smiled at him and took his hand.

***

It was the last day of camp.

Tomorrow would be dedicated to packing up, cleaning up the camp, and piling into the buses which would take them to their designated pick-up spots by mid afternoon. So today was truly the last day of camp, and Billy was honestly surprised about how forlorn he was about it. Back in June he would have never imagined that he would have had a good time at the Summer Camp his mom had signed him up for (telling him it would be good for him to get out of the city and spend time with kids his own age). Now that August had arrived, he begrudgingly agreed with his mom; it had been a pretty great summer.

He had had fun with the camp activities (more or less). Fishing and hiking would never be his favorite thing, but he had liked the canoeing and the campfires. But most of all he was glad he had met Teddy. They promised to meet up after camp ended, but for all the fortune of living in the same city, NYC was still a very large city and making the trips between Manhattan and Brooklyn would never be a quick and easy venture.  Not to mention the fact that Billy knew this routine. They would promise to meet up, probably hang out once, and then promise to do it again, only for ‘again’ to never happen. They would drift apart. At least Billy had had Teddy for the summer. His summer would have been boring without him, whether or not he had spent it at camp or at home.

After dinner, Billy was headed back to his cabin. There were plenty of other boys milling about the cabin, but most were heading back to the campfire for the last night. Billy caught sight of Teddy in his bunk, who seemed to be texting on his RAZR. He was frowning up at the slim flip phone, and Billy was torn between not bothering him and making Teddy smile again.

But just as he threw his bag up into his bunk and turned around to look back, Teddy’s eyes were on him.

“Hey?” Billy asked, even though it wasn’t a question.

“Greg texted me.”

“Oh?” Billy asked. Again, it wasn’t a question, but he hoped Teddy knew what he was asking. They had talked more about Greg over the summer, and Teddy said he had planned on hanging out less and less with Greg in the hopes that he would leave him alone.

“Yeah. Whatever. What are you doing?” Teddy tossed the phone away, into his rucksack. There was probably more meaning to that action than either of them really understood, but there was a tone of success in Teddy’s voice.

“Thinking about skipping the campfire. What do you think about going on one last adventure?” Billy raised his brows.

“I think that sounds perfect.” Teddy smiled as he pulled on his boots and his loose canvas jacket. “Lead the way.”

Billy grinned up at him and tugged on his jacket sleeve, pulling him out of the cabin and down the wooded areas around the camp. They snuck past the campfire and other campers, hushing their own laughter as they ducked behind bushes and ran to hide behind the mess hall. The final campfire wasn’t obligatory, but sneaking passed the camp counselors who were rounding up campers was far more fun than if they just walked off.

When the coast was clear, and they were on the other side of the camp, they started sprinting and laughing as they raced each other through the wooded trails. 

When they hit a fork in the path Teddy asked, “The Fort?” 

“That was the plan. Come on!” 

Billy ran down the path, toward the wooden structure nestled amongst the trees. It was a wooden structure, built to semi-replicate a pioneer fort. Logs reached up to the height of two stories and encircled a large courtyard where the ax-throwing activity was set-up. The leather-pressing activity was set up under one of the parapet walkways to the right, and to the left there was a rickety ladder that led to the walkway and the turrets. Up in one of the guard towers they could see through the woods, down the path, and a little bit of the lake in the far distance. Leaning against the logs, side by side, they listened to the campers in the distance and the birds chirping overhead as they flew to their nests for the night.

Billy caught sight of a sparrow zipping past as it disappeared into the woods. “Kinda wish I could fly away too.”

Teddy leaned onto his elbows and tilted his head so he could look up at Billy. 

“It’d be easier being a bird, I think,” Billy commented, laughing a little even though he meant it.

“I’m glad you aren’t.” Teddy said, “‘Cause then I wouldn’t have met you. And I can’t really be friends with a bird.”

Billy smiled and ducked his head. “Yeah, but who doesn’t want to fly sometimes? Just to get away every now and then?”

Teddy paused long enough that Billy turned to look at him. His expression was hesitant, but there was something there.

“What?”

Teddy ran a hand over his shaggy hair, making it stand on end. “I don’t know what it is about you, Bee, but you make me want to tell you things I’ve never told anyone before.”

Billy frowned, not because he was sad at that statement but rather confused. “What do you mean?”

“Can I show you something?”

“Sure, of course.”

Teddy leaned back and tugged off his canvas jacket and tossed it to the floor of the turret. Next he pulled off his shirt and Billy had to hold back a noise in the back of his throat as his eyes locked into the tanned skin of Teddy’s chest. But while Billy was having trouble focusing on anything besides Teddy’s treasure trail, Teddy had closed his eyes in concentration. A moment later two green wings began to form on Teddy’s back, protruding out on either side, with a total length twice Teddy’s height.

“Whoa,” Billy said, knowing his eyes must be the size of saucers.

“Yeah.”

“Those things work?” Billy asked dumbly as he eyed the wings.

“Yeah.”

“Whoa,” Billy repeated. He circled around Teddy so he could see the wings in all their glory. They were green, fading into the natural tanned skin of Teddy’s back. “How did you find out you could do this?”

“I was dreaming about flying and when I woke up, I had these.” Teddy wiggled the wings, making the air shift around him. There was an obvious power behind them, and Billy didn’t have any doubt they could lift Teddy off the ground. “I haven’t used them much. There aren’t a lot of places in Brooklyn to fly around without being noticed. But I’ve managed it a couple times on my rooftop when it was really late.”

“I am so jealous right now, Tee, you have no idea.” Billy reached out and touched the green leathery wing. It twitched a little, indicating Teddy could feel Billy’s givers skimming across his skin.

“Do you want...do you want to see?” Teddy asked hesitantly, looking rather shy. 

“Hell yeah. I mean, would you want to? No one would see, I don’t think.” Billy looked out across the woods but everyone was at the campfire, far across the camp.

Teddy nodded and before Billy knew it, there was a big gust of wind and Teddy was up in the air. He lifted himself to the top of the turret, and then to an adjacent tree so that he was basically eye-to-eye with Billy, except across a large span of open air. Then Teddy leaped forward so that he crossed that space, and suddenly they were face to face, Billy on the turret and Teddy hanging off the edge with his wings flapping occasionally.

Teddy held out his hand.

Billy's eyes widened. 

“Oh, no. No, I don’t think so.”

Teddy smiled, “Now what happened to Mr. Adventure? Come on, Bee, it’s the last day of summer when will we have a chance to fly again?”

Billy bit his lip. Well, he certainly would never fly again, except for inside an airplane. He smiled and took the hand, balancing himself on one of the logs that made up the walls of the fort.

“You sure you can hold me?”

“Super strength, remember?” Teddy said, “I got you.”

One moment Billy was stepping off into the air and the next Teddy’s arms were holding him up twenty feet above the ground. 

Billy looked down, clutching onto Teddy’s bare shoulder for dear life. “Ah! Holy shit!” Billy yelled as Teddy gave another push of his wings and lifted them higher and farther out into the woods.

It couldn’t have been longer than a minute or two, but it felt like hours as Teddy flitted through the trees. When Teddy landed on a thick branch high up in a sturdy evergreen, Billy felt the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

They sat down on the branch, some forty feet in the air. At this height, they could clearly see over the camp and where the sun was setting across the lake. 

“Perfect spot.” Billy breathed out in amazement, wrapping his arms around himself. The wind blew a little harder up here, and he had left his jacket since it was still a warm August day and he hadn’t thought he would literally be up a tree.

“Here,” Teddy said, as he shuffled one wing so that it settled around Billy’s shoulder, cocooning Billy from the cold.

“Oh, thanks,” Billy said, shifting a little closer to Teddy so that he didn’t have to stretch his wing so far. He wasn’t going to think about how this was like a mutant-version of putting an arm around a crush. He wasn’t.

“You know this is kinda awesome,” Billy said.

At that understatement, Teddy laughed full and brazen. Billy couldn’t look at the sunset when Teddy was shining like that.

“I’m gonna miss you, Tee,” Billy said softly, as the sun began its slow descent into the lake.

“We’ll see each other after today, dork,” Teddy said, nudging Billy with his elbow. This time, Billy believed him.

Teddy shifted on the branch, and as he did so, his arm bumped with Billy’s. Very conscious of Teddy’s bare torso right next to his, Billy stayed very still. But Teddy’s hand came to rest next to his. And then it touched Billy’s, resting on his own. He didn’t dare look, but he wiggled his fingers and slipped them between Teddy’s. He had to hold back a smile, afraid this moment break if he so much as moved a muscle.

“I…” Teddy broke the silence with a halted sentence. He coughed and restarted. Billy turned to look at him to see Teddy’s cheeks were pink and his expression coy. “I kind of...Well. I like you, Bee. As in, you know… And I realize I dragged you up into a tree to tell you that, but I wanted to tell you tonight so if you didn’t want to see me again, we didn’t have to. But I wanted to tell you.”

Involuntarily Billy squeezed his hand, out of shock and out of amazement. He tried to string some words together that were a combination of ‘really?’ or ‘holy crap!’ or just ‘I like you too’ but all that came out was a little wheeze.

Teddy gave a wary smile. “Was that a good noise?”

Billy covered his face with his free hand and said, “So lame, oh my god” which made Teddy laugh.

“You like boys?” Billy asked a moment later, once his brain could form a coherent thought.

“Yeah. Sorry I didn’t tell you.” Teddy bit his lip, “I wasn’t really sure. I think I had a crush on Greg and that’s why I was… you know. But then I met you and we became friends, and it all made a lot more sense.”

Billy smiled, feeling a burst of confidence swell in his chest. He pushed himself a little closer to Teddy and a little higher up so that he could press a kiss to Teddy’s cheek. He lingered for a second before pulling away to see Teddy’s astonished expression.

“Is that a yes?” Teddy asked.

“Not sure there was a question, but yeah. That’s a yes.” Billy smiled, feeling Teddy’s hand squeeze his own.

Teddy leaned forward and before Billy’s mind could process it, Teddy’s lips were on his own. Their noses pushed together and Billy hadn’t a clue what he was supposed to do next, but he didn’t care as he felt like a bolt of lightning had shot through his system when Teddy touched him. Teddy shifted and pecked another kiss to the corner of Billy’s lips before he pulled away just enough to look into Billy’s eyes

“Hey,” Billy whispered, looking into those pale blue eyes.

“Hi,” Teddy smiled brightly, looking like he had won something grand. Maybe he had, and at that thought, Billy felt his stomach flip over and over again.

Billy leaned over and rested his head on Teddy’s shoulder. Still sheltered by Teddy’s wing, it was pleasantly warm as they looked out across the woods in companionable silence.

“I can’t believe I had my first kiss in a tree,” Billy remarked all of a sudden, as the thought popped into his head. He laughed, reveling in its ridiculousness. 

“Was that your first kiss?” Teddy asked.

“Oh, uh. Yeah?” Billy said, feeling a little shy now that he said it out loud.

“Mine too,” Teddy said, and then groaned. “We’re literally sitting in a tree.”

The words sparked the children’s rhyme in Billy’s mind: “K-i-s-s-i-n-g!”

“Oh no, we’re the lamest ever,” Teddy said, tucking his head into Billy’s shoulder and laughing wholeheartedly.

“The worst.” Billy agreed, but he couldn’t stop smiling.

As the light left the sky on the last day of camp, the summer officially ended, but with Teddy’s hand in his, Billy wasn’t worried about it.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, that was my first Young Avengers fic! I've written for other fandoms, but I'm excited to post something about Billy/Teddy. Let me know if anything felt OOC or you spotted a mistake because I'd love to write more Wickling but I would really appreciate some feedback on how this went. But anyways, hope you enjoyed it!


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